Hi everyone! Don't forget to R&R! I'll be writing more now because I get another break from school for exams...more coming soon!

In this chapter, Kitty delves into Nathaniel's past, searching for something that will…convince him to help her get to Phasma Mortuus. Can you possibly guess what she will find out?

Disclaimer: I do not own the Bartimaeus Trilogy, only a few puny original characters and the main plotline…everything belongs to Jonathan Stroud. Still.


I Only Photocopied It!

"Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead." – Benjamin Franklin

Kitty sat at a computer in the library, thinking about John Mandrake yet again. She needed Bartimaeus to get to the island, and she could see no way of gaining access to the de-djinni (she smiled, remembering their interesting discussion two years ago) without using Mandrake himself. And that would mean divulging the Resistance's plans with the Amulet; that would interest him for sure.

What he needed was some…incentive to help her. And that could only mean blackmail.

The only thing she had against him was the fact that he had betrayed her, and also worked directly against the Night Police; but that wasn't the sort of thing to use against him. The magicians wouldn't care less, now that the golem conspiracy was over.

Sighing, she typed in a web address and entered John Mandrake into the box. Several links came up at once: old newspaper articles, the government archives, a biography (That conceited little git, she thought amusedly), and a personal website. Thank God for Google, she thought to herself.

She clicked on the biography.

John Mandrake was born on March 13, 1990, and was accepted as an apprentice at age 5 to Mr. Arthur Underwood, former Minister of Internal Affairs (deceased four years ago). He studied under Mr. James Purcell, Mr. George Sindra, and Ms. Fiona Lutyens.

Kitty wrote down the three names; if it came to secret, illegitimate interviews, she needed to know where to look. They were probably commoners, which was a bit of a bonus for her.

At age 12, Mr. Mandrake was involved in the uncovering of the Lovelace conspiracy…

She scanned the rest of the article. There were no more names there, except for well-known magicians who had reportedly "aided" Mandrake in his endeavours. The biography was surprisingly short; then again, it should have been, she amended silently, seeming as he's only about sixteen years old. Good God.

The other links were no different, except for a rather elaborated biography on the personal website Kitty suspected had been done by Mandrake himself. That conceited small-timer, she thought yet again.

She was curious about the pictures she came across: the magician had certainly changed over the years. A photo taken in his apprenticeship showed he had once had short hair, which accented his sharp features. He was smiling a little; not so in the later pictures. The newest one of all displayed him as excruciatingly thin, his hair surprisingly cut back to a similar length to that of his twelve-year old self. His eyes looked haunted.

Kitty closed the link. Why was she looking at pictures of him? They did nothing for her research, besides prove the fact that he was lacking in physical humanity.


She left the library feeling rather disappointed and wondering how on earth she was going to get to Mandrake. Kitty had knocked on the three teachers' doors, asking for "information for a feature in the newspaper". Mr. Purcell told her serenely that John Mandrake was a good boy with lots of ambition, before calmly telling her to leave. Mr. Sindra slammed the door in her face, looking livid; evidently he had not enjoyed his young charge's company. She could sympathize with him there.

To her disappointment, Ms. Lutyens was not at home when she stopped by. Kitty wondered dully if she should even bother coming back later; evidently Mandrake had not been truly close with any of these people.

Not that she really knew exactly what she wanted to find out; all she knew was that blackmail was the only way to deal with someone who had proven themselves to be effective in betrayal.

She could always invent something; maybe go up to him and say, "I know what you did to those magicians," assuming that he had naturally behaved badly at some point in his life. She could even throw in a little, "You owe me," as the shock of seeing her again might be enough to throw him off track. But she knew she was dealing with one of the cleverest figures in government, and he was unlikely to be fazed unless she really had something on him.

Kitty returned to her apartment, annoyed by her pointless day's work. She was putting some pizza in the microwave when there was an urgent knock at the door. She tensed, feeling for the knife hidden behind her belt. She approached the door cautiously, unlocked it, and turned the knob; then she sprang back, the knife out.

It was Kevin. She lowered her weaponand stuck it back in her belt. He raised his eyebrows at her.

"How can you expect an attack here? Only Resistance members know where you live…"

"Anyone who suspected could follow me here, Kev…but that's not the point. Why are you here? Has something happened to Lei?" Her pulse quickened.

"No, she's fine…well, not fine, exactly, but better than yesterday. Anyway, I have something that might interest you."

He handed her a sheet of paper. She read the first line, underneath the date of that day.

This is my last will and testament…

"You made me a will?" she said sarcastically. "Gee, I'm touched. Glad you have faith in my survival skills."

"It's not yours, Kitty – I mean, Alyssa. Read the bottom."

Kitty glanced at the end of the paper and her heart leaped into her throat.

John Mandrake

Kevin was watching her.

"How did you know I was looking for information about him? More to the point – how the hell did you get this?"

He rolled his eyes at her.

"I knew what you were going to do after yesterday. You had your John Mandrake face on when you were talking to us."

"My – what? How do you – why the hell would I have anything to do with John Mandrake?"

"Remember when that demon hit you with an Inferno a couple months ago?"

"Yes…"

"Well, you were delirious for about two days. All the while you were talking in your sleep, you were saying his name over and over…we thought you were in love with him or something. No, it was just a joke!" he said when Kitty raised a fist, looking furious. "But then you started muttering about traitors and betrayal, so I figured it was something else…"

"What, you stayed by my bedside for two days?"

"Well, we didn't have a lot else to do…we're rubbish at planning without you…" he looked rather embarrassed, and inside Kitty crowed in triumph; at least the other members of the Resistance realized they were a bit…rough as a separated group.

"So you know John Mandrake betrayed me," she said slowly, "but you still haven't said how you got this!"

"Oh, that part's easy," he said winningly. "Remember I told you I worked at that financial office near Piccadilly?"

"You stole a magician's will?"

"I didn't really nick it! I just…photocopied it…"

Kitty rolled her eyes.

"How can I even be sure this is his? He's sixteen, for crying out loud; what would he be making a will for? Is he going on a dangerous trip, or-"

She stopped, realizing something.

"Um…Kitty?"

"Alyssa. Anyone could be listening. But Kevin – he knows."

"Knows what?"

"He knows about Phasma Mortuus!"

"The Amulet thingy?" His face darkened. "One of us has told the magicians!"

"Not necessarily," she said quickly, "it may have been a tip-off…Jenson's not very discreet in hiding things he's reading. Anyone could sneak up behind him and see exactly what we're up to in terms of research…"

"Don't go, Alyssa," he said. Kitty looked up; Kevin's face looked haunted. "You could be caught there with no place to hide."

"If it's Mandrake who's going, I have a clear way in! He'll have to use a demon, same as me, then I can ditch him and get the Amulet before he does. I have no trouble defying a sixteen-year-old boy…remember when I slugged you?"

"All too well," murmured Kevin, massaging one side of his face as if remembering a past injury.

"All I need is something…"

"I'd better get back to the cellar," said Kevin. "Alyssa…Kitty…look after yourself."

"I didn't know you cared," she said sarcastically.

He flushed, then left the room. Kitty closed the door silently behind him, then turned back to the will.

"Let's see if he's left anything to anyone…" she muttered to herself.

And there, beside numerous charities, the Prime Minister, and some important figures in government, was a name she had already seen once today: Ms. Fiona Lutyens.


Fiona Lutyens was woken in the night by a frantic banging on the door that shook the walls of her flat and sent her pictures hanging crooked. She opened the door to find a dark-haired teenage girl.

"Yes?" She said blearily.

"I need to talk to you about someone you once knew: a boy named John Mandrake."

Kitty saw the woman's eyes widen.

"What – what do you wish to know of him? I haven't seen him in – what are you doing out during curfew?"

Kitty stepped through the doorway, pushing it closed behind her.

"I need his help; I think he needs some incentive to give it to me."

Ms. Lutyens frowned.

"Oh, he will help, I'm sure…he's a good boy, just a little impatient…it was always his only fault…"

"Maybe we don't know the same John Mandrake. Or else he's changed."

The teacher looked rather saddened by this news.

"I thought he would turn out different from the others," she said, "not hankering after power and luxury; but they teach them bad things when they're very young, of course…still, I maybe thought-"

"That's a bit beside the point. It is obvious, Ms. Lutyens, that you knew him well and that he trusted you. What I must know, is what did he trust you with?"

Ms. Lutyens paled.

"You don't mean – you wouldn't – my dear girl, it could kill him if I told anyone -"

Kitty saw where they were going and jumped on it.

"It was his name, wasn't it? Before he got his official one? All magicians hide their names -"

"I'm not about to tell you! For all I know, you could be a demon in disguise, ready to jump at the slightest opportunity, to kill any magician you can!"

"I'm not a demon. And I need that name!"

"Then tell me, girl, why should I give it you?"

"I see you've stopped denying you know it."

They stared at each other, the older woman white as a ghost.

"You must promise me," she said, breathing heavily, "that you will not hurt him."

Kitty stared at her.

"You don't understand him," she continued. "All he needs is a little bit of affection! He never knew his parents, even; they abandoned him, like they always do. And he has a conscience; the magicians hurt him, tried to snap it out of him…"

"Just tell me the name, Ms. Lutyens."

"You still haven't told me why. I don't even know your name!"

"My name is Alyssa Feldman. I promise you that I will not use it to hurt him; I need to know that name!"

"I cannot trust a stranger. I made a vow; I cared for him. I am not about to break it because of you! I don't even know you!"

Kitty twisted her lip. Ms. Lutyens had obviously cared too much for her precious little John Mandrake, the idiotic collaborator.

The lady was watching her.

"You think less of me, I see," she said sadly. "But I am not the sort of person who breaks a promise."

"He broke one to me! He betrayed me!" Kitty cried, determined to make her see the truth.

Ms. Lutyens' eyes were on the floor. She appeared to be thinking hard.

"I will tell you," she said, "if you promise to protect him, wherever he is going."

Kitty gaped at her.

"Pro-protect him! Maybe you don't understand the circum -"

"I understand John Mandrake," she said calmly, "and if you will not make that promise to me, I can't help you."

Kitty took several deep breaths to calm herself. Then she looked straight into the older woman's eyes.

"I will protect him, Fiona Lutyens."

Ms. Lutyens' eyes widened. She closed her eyes and said slowly,

"Nathaniel."


Hi, hoped you liked the chapter! Haha, the plot thickens, to use an old cliche...anyways, Chapter 4 coming ASAP!